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Spotlight on Elise K. Ackers and ASK ME TO STAY!

Ask Me To Stay: A Homeland Book, by Elise K. Ackers.
Published by Destiny Romance.

Interview:

Who is Elise. K. Ackers?

A seven on the crazy scale,
a nine-and-a-half on the dedicated scale, and a whopping ten on the “If it
wasn’t this, it would be something else” scale.

I’m used to unusual
accidents and one-off incidents – I’m a magnet for all things “Who’d’ve
thought”. I have an enormous smile, an off-beat sense of humour and an
all-consuming desire to write down the many stories in my overcrowded mind.

I’m very family orientated,
I talk about TV shows as I watch them, and I’ll probably never write a book
where two people don’t fall in love. Romance is key, I say!

What inspired you to be a writer?

Nothing really inspired me
– there wasn’t a particular flash of direction or need, because I can’t
remember ever not wanting to be a writer. When I was very young I used to write
family newspapers in coloured pencils, or bang them out on a typewriter.
Looking back on them now, there was a fair bit of fiction in them, though!

For most of my life, I’ve
been writing. I can’t ever imagine stepping away from it – it’s too much a part
of me.

How did you choose your genre?

Almost every story I’ve written has been romance, and I think that may
always be how it is for me. I love reading about people falling in love, I love
writing about it – it’s a critical element for me.

I was drawn to the romantic suspense subgenre because of the haunting
beauty of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, and also because the characters in Small Town Storm came to me with a lot
of mystery and heartache.

I’m also drawn to the contemporary romance subgenre because of how
relatable it is to present day readers. I’m currently writing my most
contemporary book yet – complete with Twitter, Facebook and SMS – but
technology aside, I love writing characters set in this time. They’re savvy,
independent and challenging. And I can put them in settings that my readers can
visit and similarly experience – I get a real kick out of that.

What made you tell this story and why did you write this book?

I’d signed up to participate in the global 3-Day Novel Contest; every
year, hundreds of people around the world attempt to write a complete work of
fiction in just three days. I was part of that glorious madness.

The idea for Ask Me To Stay
started with a single sentence, and the story grew from there. I’d had two
brothers in the back of my mind for a few weeks; one was misunderstood, and one
was grieving. I knew they were fighting and I wanted to know why. And part of
me wanted to fix it.

How did you come up with the title?

Initially,
it was just the one book. But as the idea got bigger and the secondary
characters fought for attention, the one book became three. I had a chat with
Destiny Romance about a way to link the titles, and we landed on Ask Me as a starting point, and A Homeland Book to link them.

Blurb:

When family tragedy brings bad boy Ethan Foster home, he
doesn't expect a warm welcome. In the small town of Hinterdown reputation is
everything - and Ethan's was ruined long ago. Nobody wants him around,
particularly not Sam O'Hara, the girl he left behind.

There's still a powerful spark between them, but Sam is
afraid to risk her heart again. And Ethan is hiding a secret that will have
repercussions for his whole family. Will the townspeople ever forgive him? More
importantly, will those he loves the most find it in their hearts to take him
back?

This tender tale of love and redemption is the first in a
brilliant new series by Elise K. Ackers, author of Small Town Storm and
the bestselling The Man Plan.

About the author:

Elise K. Ackers is from
Melbourne, Australia. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense and
is published with Destiny Romance and Escape Publishing. Elise is an animal
foster carer, a magnet for unusual accidents and an enthusiastic couch
commentator. Ask Me To Stay: A Homeland
Book is her fourth book. The second title in the Homeland series will be
available in July 2013.

Hi Nas, Hi Elise, wow, I didnt know there was a global 3-Day Novel Contest, what a fantastic idea. In NZ they have a 48hr film challenge where you have to film a short film in 48 hours... I think writing a book in 3 days would be so much harder. Good luck with your release :D

I really enjoyed your interview. I didn't know about the 3 day novel contest. How incredible is that? I love romance, reading it, writing it, and sometimes living it...'Ask Me to Stay' sounds like a lovely romantic read. Good luck with it.

Wow! A novel in three days? I'm having trouble writing my college memoir in 6 months. Congratulations, Elise. The story sounds intriguing. Good luck with everything. Thanks, Nas, for interviewing Elise for us.

This book is good and was n easy read but it was a good old fashioned romance, about family you want to protect, healing, and love. Actually, I really like it, the story is sweet. By the way, I checked the top Amazon books but never seen the actual price.